Jonathan Fairbanks and Clyde Edwin Tuck

Past and Present of Greene County, Missouri

Early and Recent History and Genealogical Records
of Many of the Representative Citizens

EDWIN L. FAY. Among the best known railroad men of Springfield is Edwin L. Fay, who has been railroading for nearly a half century, and for over forty years, connected with the Frisco system, at one time being superintendent of a division, and for the past quarter of a century has been a passenger conductor. His long and honorable record is one of which he may be justly proud. He has been regarded all the while as one of the most trustworthy andable of the employees of the Frisco, and his services have shown him to be a man of ability, fidelity and sobriety, thus meriting the confidence reposed in him and the high esteem in which he is universally held among railroad men.

Mr. Fay is a descendant of an old New England family, of which country he himself is a native, having been born in Orange county, Vermont, August 5, 1849. He is a son of Lorenzo D. and Levina (Chamberlin) Fay. The father was born in the state of New York in 1809, and died in 1893 in Illinois; the mother was born in Vermont in 1822and died in 1902.They both received good common school education, and for a number of years the mother engaged in teaching. Lorenzo D. Fay was a mason, plasterer and building contractor and was very successful in his vexation. He was twice married, our subject being the eldest of four children by his second marriage.

Edwin L. Fay spent his early boyhood in Vermont and received most of his education in the public schools there. When he was twelve years of age the family removed to the state of Iowa, where they lived three years, then located in Illinois, where they established their permanent home. Our subject began his railroad career in 1867, when he took a position with the Chicago Northwestern railroad as brakeman, between Chicago and Janesville, Wisconsin continuing as brakeman until 1870, he went with the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy railroad, his return being between Rock Island and Bridgeport, Illinois. In March, 1871, he came to Springfield Missouri, where he has since resided. He went to work soon thereafter as brakeman on the Frisco and four months later was given a train, and, showing that he was a man of ability in this line of endeavor, he was rapidly promoted and was made superintendent in 1889 of the eastern division, with headquarters at Newburg, Missouri, this being one of the most important divisions on the system; although he was an efficient superintendent, he preferred active service on the road and was given a position as passenger conductor in 1890. A part of the time his run was between Springfield and St. Louis. During the past fourteen years he has been running between Monett, Missouri, and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He has been very fortunate in handling his trains and is one of the most reliable conductors on the system.

Mr. Fay has a good home on Robberson avenue, Springfield, the presiding spirit of which is a lady of pleasant manners, known in her maidenhood as Lydia E. Kern, whom he married in St. James, Missouri, August 27, 1873. She was born in Pennsylvania, and is a daughter of Joseph and Hannah Kern. When she was a young girl her parents removed with her from Pennsylvania to Missouri.

To Mr. and Mrs. Fay two children have been born, namely: Gracie E. and Ethelyn I.

Politically, Mr. Fay is a Republican. He is a member of No. 415 Division, United Railway Conductors. Fraternally, he is a prominent Mason, having attained the thirty-second degree in that order, and is a member of the Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. He also belongs to the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.